Associate Professor Rachel Hardeman found that U.S.-born Black birthing people living in areas with high police contact experienced a 100% higher chance of preterm birth compared to residents in low-contact areas.
Maternal & Child Health
Severe food insecurity linked with disordered eating behaviors in young people, including binge eating five years later
New research by postdoctoral fellow Vivienne Hazzard shows food insecurity has a lasting harmful effect on the people who experience it.
Delaying high school start times reduces sleepiness and tardiness
Research led by PhD student Kaitlyn Berry found that delaying school start times from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. made it easier for students to feel awake and be on time.
Body dissatisfaction and disordered eating are prevalent among U.S. young people from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds
Researcher Nicole Larson says the findings reveal a need to increase the reach and relevance of efforts to prevent body dissatisfaction and disordered eating to ensure they benefit young people across groups.
Racial-ethnic connectedness may help protect African American youth from adverse impacts of racism
The study led by graduate Jessie Austin (MPH ’19) and Associate Professor Sonya Brady found that African American youth who felt more connected to their racial-ethnic identity and community have greater emotional well-being — even when experiencing racism.
Understanding sexual health care practices and attitudes in Tanzania
Professor Simon Rosser surveyed Tanzanian health care students and professionals to learn about their sexual health beliefs and practices in preparation for testing a new culturally-informed training curriculum.
Research Brief: Weight teasing is a risk factor for disordered eating in young people across demographic groups
A study led by PhD student Laura Hooper provides evidence against persistent assumptions that weight teasing and disordered eating primarily affect affluent, white young people.
Using diet pills and laxatives for weight control linked to future diagnosis of an eating disorder
The results of the study by incoming postdoctoral fellow Vivienne Hazzard and Professor Dianne Neumark-Sztainer suggest the use of these products is an early marker of an eating disorder or that they actually serve as risk factors for the illness.
Study to examine the effect of police violence on the birth outcomes for Black infants
Associate Professor Rachel Hardeman has launched a first-of-its-kind, five-year study to investigate the association between racialized police violence and the occurrence of preterm birth and low birth weight among Black infants.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been linked with six unhealthy eating behaviors
A University of Minnesota Medical School and School of Public Health study shows a slight increase in eating disorders, one of the deadliest psychiatric health concerns.
More research needed on how food insecurity affects parent feeding practices
Faculty Katherine Arlinghaus and Melissa Laska say experiences with food insecurity can influence the behaviors and practices parents use to feed their children — and have long-term consequences for everyone.
Study finds young adults practicing yoga are not immune to societal pressures for thinness and muscularity
The study led by Professor Dianne Neumark-Sztainer found that people who practice yoga were equally or more likely to practice extreme weight control behaviors, binge eating or use steroids and protein powders/shakes to enhance muscles.
